Hi, Rivka, I would answer, but I have my head stuck in the coat closet. sorry, can't hear you over the vacuum cleaner.
Seriously though. Let's think for one minute. We know you can do it. People go to school with small children. I would, however think about a couple of things before spending a lot of money and time so that you are happy with your selection.
1. Who will watch the children when you are at clinical or in class?
2. Homework you can do when they are asleep.
3. Before you commit to an online program, think about time and clinical and cost and future employment.
a. Online programs take MUCH more time to do. I know because I teach in non-nursing online programs both graduate and undergraduate. And, I have taken a degree in K-6 and Special Education online and spent my life reading, printing out and typing.It is convenient, true but don't underestimate the time.
b. Clinical - don't let the online salesperson fool you. Do you have to arrange your own clinical experiences? If so, how will you do that? I had to arrange for my own K-6/Special student teaching experiences and I nearly lost it. Boroch HaShem for Manhattan Day School's principal, Rabbi Besser and P.S. 75's Mr. Daub or I would not have graduated. Clinical sites are contracted for by local onground schools and there is stiff competition for those sites. If you have to arrange your own clinicals, you need to check that out BEFORE you sign away your money and time and life. If they say they have used clinical sites in your area before, have them put in writing whether they arranged for it or whether the students did and where those sites were and then contact the sites and see if they will take you. Otherwise, you will not, G-d forbid, graduate.
c. Cost - online programs are generally very costly. You need to take into account tuition but also see if they have an ONSITE colloquia requirement which would require you to TRAVEL to their school once a quarter or once a trimester and participate. BEWARE: many colloquia are over the weekend, including Shabbos. They are NOT optional. And you will have the cost of hotel, flight, food, etc. And you would need someone to watch the children.
You may very well find a scholarship online to pay for this NP provided that you serve underserved people when you graduate. I think you can make an argument that Orthodox/haredi Jews are an underserved population. So, look into this and stick to your guns. I have some data on income, etc. from some National Jewish Population Surveys and a Jewish Health Survey out of Chicago that could help you and I'm happy to share.
I am in a doctoral program - books run $400-600/semester. I generally bring my own food. Then there's tuition/fees.
4. Future employment:
(a) Go to the women's health NP websites and join the discussion boards to see what schools are more highly regarded.
(b) Go to the local women's health clinics that might be open to the public and see what the women's health NP's might think.
(c) Go on the local hospital websites and see who is staffing the women's health sections. E-mail them and try to get an informational as opposed to an employment interview to find out which schools are better regarded and how they feel about online education.
Lastly, go to the State website to their Education Department and make sure you have your credential ducks in line.
And, if you get an NP, you can later get a DNP but if you get an NP, will that come with a Master's in Nursing as well? Why do I ask? Let's think 10 years down the road. If you want to teach on a college faculty, you will need a Master's and a DNS or ED.D. or Ph.D. A DNP will NOT get you onto a college faculty. So, go for a program that also offers the Master's along with the NP if you think you're going to want to teach otherwise, we'll be seeing you on the board again asking about a Master's program. OR call or look into DNS or ED.D. in Nursing programs on the web and see if they accept just the NP. Check out NYU, Columbia, Penn State, Rutgers, The Graduate Center at CUNY.
And, see if you need to take the GRE's. If so, start studying now. I found the English to be easy as I am a language person. I did well and all was well. I found the math to be a killer. I'm not good in math and, if it weren't for my son, the math major in college tutoring me the whole summer, my score would have been much worse. You would also need to check the exam schedules as they fill up fast and you want a non-Shabbos spot during a time when you can get childcare.
So, all of this is not to discourage you. Not at all. It is to encourage you to think through down the road; to weigh and measure and to purchase your education wisely in the way that your money and time spent bring you, please, G-d, fulfillment of your hopes, dreams and end goals.
Happy cleaning to all!! BTW, I collect all of the change, etc. I find when I'm cleaning and donate to charity. The kids always enjoyed the "hunt" through pockets, under couch cushions, etc. making the cleaning fun. And, it taught them a very good lesson along the way.
Bobbie
